Business

Out-of-the-Box Approaches to the Job Search (That Actually Work)

You've heard the commonly cited statistics before: 80% of job openings are unlisted; there are 100+ resumes submitted for every job posting; 50% of submitted applications are weeded out by software and never even reviewed by a human.

While stats like these should be taken with a grain of salt, there's no doubt that today's job market is highly competitive — and candidates should be prepared to go the extra mile in order to grab the attention of hiring managers.

This is particularly true if you're thinking about entering a creative field, drastically switching career tracks or aiming to work for a tech behemoth like Facebook. (If your goal is to land a job at a big financial institution or at a law firm, you might want to stick to the more traditional resume formats, cover letters and overall professionalism, though an out-of-the-box approach may still prove successful if executed with tact.)

From unique resume displays to forging business connections in unorthodox situations, below are a few success stories from qualified candidates who went above and beyond — and landed their dream job as a result.

Show off your skills in an inventive way

It's one thing to humblebrag about all of your accomplishments and skills on a piece of paper — it's an entirely different thing to show employers and recruiters exactly what you're capable of.

If marketing is a skill set you're trying to showcase, there's no better way than by actively advertising the product you're trying to sell — yourself. Plenty of companies utilize online advertising to promote their hiring efforts, whether via promoted links, posting on relevant job boards or ads on social media. Some savvy marketers turn this approach on its head and actually target prospective employers in a "campaign" to get hired.

This approach worked for Sam Mallikarjunan, head of marketing at Hubspot Labs, who launched a full-blown marketing campaign to grab the attention of the company he was pursuing. "At its core, inbound marketing is about attracting your audience online through valuable content, lead generation and nurturing techniques, instead of interrupting them with annoying ads," says Hannah Fleishman, a member of Hubspot's media relations team. "Sam used pretty much every trick in the playbook, including a blog, keyword optimization, lead capture forms, an email 'subscribe' form, social sharing integrated into content and even a YouTube video." The tactic was particularly inventive at the time — 2011 — when this type of marketing was still an evolving concept.

Taking a similar approach, Leona Chu, advertising operations manager at Work4, utilized Facebook to capture the attention of a variety of companies in her job search efforts. She launched the below ad to promote herself to targeted audiences.

Image: Leona Chu

"Facebook is a great channel for building conversation; don't be afraid to show companies how you can add value," says Chu. "Facebook ads also have advanced targeting capabilities. You can target people who are currently working [at the company you're pursuing], or even with a certain job title. The campaign I did for Work4 was very successful; I received a number of follow-up emails from recruiters."

For candidates seeking a job in programming or design, one above-and-beyond tactic is to create an eye-catching landing page, website or infographic that specifically showcases your skills. Mark McDonald, curriculum developer at Thinkful, landed his job using such an approach: He wanted to work at a technology company that aligned with his interests and values, so after narrowing down his list to a select few organizations, he built a webpage for each, and formally applied. The strategy got him call backs to every single company he applied to, including Google, Khan Academy, Clever and Thinkful.

This type of approach may be particularly effective for students seeking internships, says Nathan Parcells, CEO of InternMatch. "We have seen some successful 'Hire Me' campaigns recently," he says, citing this one in particular that landed the candidate an interview at Google.

Scour niche job boards

Comprehensive job sites and networks such as Monster, LinkedIn, Glassdoor and, yes, even Craigslist can be invaluable resources for jobseekers — but the competition for listings posted on these sites can be downright overwhelming. If you're looking for a job in a specific industry, consider researching job boards that focus on a particular niche.

Parcells believes that niche job boards allow both companies and jobseekers to narrow down the search to highly targeted positions and candidates. "One tactic we recommend is to follow the blog feeds of your niche job boards of choice," he says, explaining that the content in these blogs often offers advice on how to be successful in your field.

The Muse is one such example of this type of content: The platform is a useful resource for millennials and digital natives interested in pursuing careers at startups and new, innovative companies across a variety of industries. The platform recently upgraded its resource center, Muse U, to include downloads, videos, webinars, classes and a variety of helpful tools that provide training resources and guidance for jobseekers and junior hires. With the upgrade, users can also save their favorite resources in a career content-focused board (similar to Pinterest).

Robyn Melhuish, communications manager at MedReps, agrees that targeted job boards can provide both employers and candidates a more effective approach to hiring. "The advantage of niche job boards comes down to quality over quantity," she says. Below, she provides a quick and dirty "dos and don'ts" list for jobseekers thinking about utilizing niche job boards in their search.

DO: Research the company to make sure you’ll be a good fit, then tailor your resume for each position.DON’T: Just apply for every job (or every job at the company) because you’re desperate for work.DO: Follow up with employers and recruiters, and ask relevant questions.DON’T: Follow up constantly and pester recruiters. The recruiters and employers who put their actual email addresses and phone numbers on the site are trusting you to use it wisely.DO: Make sure your resume includes relevant keywords, so you’ll show up more often in the searches recruiters are performing on the site.DON’T: Ignore the advantages of a niche job board. Really take the opportunity to get to know your niche fully, and look critically at the opportunities present. It might give you a good idea of the skills you lack or the education you need to acquire to make yourself more marketable.

Decide on the right resume approach for you

Everyone seems to have a different opinion on resumes these days. Some career experts will tell you to ditch the traditional resume altogether; others suggest going the route of lego resumes, Twesumes (that's right — a Twitter resume) or services and platforms like Sumry and 1-Page to highlight your skills and talents in a neat, concise package; still more career "gurus" tout the importance of keeping your resume neat, readable and limited to one page only.

Mashable has written somewhat extensively about the various resume options that are most popular today, as well as how you can optimize a traditional resume for your particular industry. Though it's entirely dependent upon the type of job you're seeking, an unorthodox approach to the antiquated paper resume just might catch the eye of an astute hiring manager or recruiter — provided you abide by the following guidelines.

Make it superb, or nix the idea completely. If you're capable of executing an exciting and creative idea, go for it — but if you lack the skills to create something truly unique that still clearly denotes your talents, experience and skill sets, consider going the traditional route.

Include the necessities. Contact information, proper spelling, past experience and relevant skills are still a must, regardless of how creative your resume design may be.

Consider including a traditional resume as well (or at least having one on-hand). While prospective employers may be blown away by your creativity, they are likely still going to want to see your skills and experience laid out in a traditional, easy-to-read format. It's a good idea to carry a few copies of a paper resume with you to any interview, and to include a traditional resume (or a link to one online) in any application.

If your industry is on the more conservative side (read: finance, accounting, law, medicine, etc.), the traditional resume is likely the best way to go. (A good rule of thumb: If you'll be wearing a suit to work, stick to a "regular" resume.) In these cases, simply following the application directions to a T will give you a better shot at getting a call back. "It’s amazing how many candidates don’t follow simple instructions and, as a result, end up losing out on an opportunity," says Melhuish.

Network in unexpected places — and always keep an ear to the ground

It can be worthwhile to put out feelers among friends, acquaintances, connections and family members when looking for a new job. Networking is one of the best ways to find a job for which you are truly a solid fit (and referrals are one of the most reliable and important sources employers depend upon for hiring). Sometimes, you can even sneak a little networking into unlikely scenarios.

If your first job out of college isn't exactly your dream job, it's still important to take on your role with enthusiasm and diligence — you never know the connections you might forge in the process. For Amy Halm, a communications consultant and serial entrepreneur, a gig as a server led to more lucrative employment situations — on more than one occasion.

"When I graduated from college as a single mom, I was so poor I took the first job I could get as a lunch waitress at a bar and grill at which all the business people from local companies ate," says Halm. "I started handing out resumes with the burgers and beers, and within a couple of months, I had an interview and was offered a job." A few years later, lightning stuck twice. "I moved to a city where I knew no one, and was having zero response to my resume, so I reverted back to what worked. I figured out where I wanted to work, mapped out all of the restaurants within an easy walk and got a job at the nicest one. Voila. Worked again."

Halm chalks her success up to the fact that there was no pressure applied to the executives with whom she made connections. She was able to demonstrate her work ethic, communication skills and friendly demeanor in a non-threatening setting — and ultimately, she was able to get an "in" when the execs' defenses were down.

While this approach may seem a bit far-fetched, there's an important lesson in Halm's story — she researched her industry, kept an eye out for connections who might be able to bolster her career, never grew complacent and took bold steps to get her foot in the door. Ultimately, her optimistic mindset and persistence paid off.

Show off your personality

If you have an odd hobby or quirky collection, consider showing it off throughout the hiring process or including an anecdote in your resume, cover letter or interview to showcase your personality. Most hiring managers are bombarded with the same type of resume and humdrum candidates day in and day out — adding some "color" to your candidate profile can help you stand out among the competition, particularly if your interests are in-line with the company's culture or showcase creative thinking skills.

Below are a few cases in which candidates took a unique approach that worked to their advantage.

Channeling fellow Harry Potter fans

"I added my volunteer experience with the International Quidditch Association (as in, the sport that they all play in Harry Potter) as a major part of my resume. My now boss admitted it was the reason why I got the interview in the first place." -Hilary Jarman, marketing specialist, Adecco Group North America

Adding just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek

“I once got a package from a jobseeker, inside of which I found a shoe with a note attached that said, 'Now that I have my foot in the door…'" -Daniel Van Hill, executive recruiter, Parker + Lynch

Getting on the Internet's good side

"I was a consultant working with Deloitte Digital and was looking to make a switch. I built Bento, [an online compilation of the best, free web-development tutorials], and it hit number one on Hacker News, as well as the front page of anonymized Reddit. The vice president of engineering at Stack Exchange (known for the very popular site Stack Overflow) reached out to me, and I'm currently an engineer there." -Jon H.M. Chan, software developer at Stack Exchange

Knowing your audience

"We received via snail mail a manila envelope containing a resume and cover letter. The resume was flawlessly executed in a traditional sense, but the candidate also included a charmingly creative way of impressing us: Around the margins, written clearly in red ink, the applicant added handwritten notes about every detail she'd included in her resume. Font styles and sizes, margin sizes, use of white space, quantification, why she chose to use a 'career profile' instead of a 'career objective,' why she chose certain keywords — you name it, every aspect of a resume critique was there." -Mark Slack, resume consultant and career expert at Resume Genius

Making an impression

"A candidate applying for a financial analyst position at Moody's (without any Financial Analyst work experience) sent an egg timer from a Boggle game with a resume and a note that said, 'If you give me this much time, I'll prove to you why I am the best financial analyst you'll ever have.' He is a now a VP." -Abby Kohut, author and recruiter, Absolutely Abby

Appealing to a sense of humor

"I scored a couple waitressing jobs by including humorous statistics in my applications, such as: 'Can understand 97.7% of local Geordie accents, with the exception being drunk customers,' 'an average of 1 broken mug per 6 month period' and 'ability to kill 94% of nasty customers with kindness, receiving a tip from 82% of said customers.' This landed me jobs from cafés and restaurants with a sense of humor, which is exactly where I wanted to work. And then, while waitressing in an American diner, I got to know the owners of a local biotech company that had a crazy, grand vision to change the world. Now they're my bosses." -Maggie Love, business development and marketing executive, QuantuMDx Group Limited

The fine line between 'inventive' and 'annoying'

Being unique, creative and persistent doesn't translate into being obnoxious: There is a fine line between coming across as determined or capable and appearing demanding.

"Some job seekers — especially sales professionals — think the more aggressive they are, the better their chances of being noticed, but many times this gets them noticed for the wrong reasons. Follow-up is extremely important, obviously, but hounding recruiters multiple times per day is not a smart way to make a good impression — unless the impression you want to make is that of a stalker," says Melhuish.

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Mashable Job Board Listings

The Mashable Job Board connects job seekers across the U.S. with unique career opportunities in the digital space. While we publish a wide range of job listings, we have selected a few job opportunities from the past several weeks to help get you started. Happy hunting!

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